I freely admit it; I’m a word geek. (Well, actually, I’m just a geek all ‘round.)
I’m known for thinking the rest of the world would file Superhero costumes under accoutrements or slang under colloquialisms. I Google these terms freely, certain I’ll find what I need. Thankfully, other word geeks like me exist, or I’d be phoning a friend to ask what else to search by.
My love of words often finds me questioning the exact phrasing of a particular line of copy, or a piece of rhetoric in a strategy document. We’ve word-smithed the hell out of sentences down here in the zag basement. And sometimes, yes, we actually do argue semantics. Does sprightly mean ‘with spirit’ or ‘fairylike’?
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the difference between hurrying and moving quickly. I think about it in relation to my stress levels (and those of the people around me). I think about it in relation to the quality of work I produce.
Hurrying seems to imply that you’re after the brass ring and you don’t care how many hurdles you knock over just to get there. Moving quickly though, that’s where the art is.
We work in an industry that requires alacrity of us; it’s something we do. But if we’re hurrying to do it, we lose the opportunity to use our skills at the peak of their performance. We’re forced to hustle along, hum-drumming our way to the finish line.
An artist can move quickly, and with economy of movement and deliberate action, create whole worlds where none existed before. Exultant creation (or maybe just some darn fine ad copy) doesn’t have to take a lifetime, but it can’t be done in a hurry.
